Struggle for compensation goes on Veligonda Project oustees demand R&R package for children

Ongole: Though the foundation of the Pula Subbaiah Veligonda Project in the Prakasam district was laid many decades ago, many oustees are still to get proper compensation for their sacrifice of farm lands for the project. While the real oustees have become old and their little children became majors in the meantime. Now the oustees are demanding the government to include their childrenalso for the R&R package. The foundation for the Pula Subbaiah Veligonda Project was laid by the then Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu in 1996. But, funds were allocated and works started in 2004. The land acquisition survey for the 11 submerging villages was completed in 2008 and the government identified 4,214 people eligible for the compensation.

The government assured to provide land for land, compensation for the structural damage and an R&R package to all the people who were majors. Later, the number increased to 7,555 people, after the clarifications on the objections were received. Besides, the continuation of the work, the government announced to construct colonies with all facilities. Meanwhile, it paid the land and structural damage price to the oustees, following their choice. Being the farmers, many of them left the villages and started to try their luck at various places in the neighbouring districts. Some of them were successful, but most of them failed due to the lack of knowledge on the land, crops, pests and water management.

In the meantime, the displaced families started asking for the package for their children, who became majors after the compensation survey was done. The people in the submerging villages are still staying in the villages and are cultivating the lands given to the government, but they are short of money to meet the demands of the family. Unable to meet ends and withstand the pressure from the money lenders, a couple belonging to Sairam Nagar, Ramineni Madhavarao and Krishnakumari attempted suicide in front of the Veligonda project office last week. After a few days of struggling in the hospital, they both died blaming the government for their condition. Responding to The Hans India, the Veligonda project special officer Sarala Vandanam said that they completed the distribution of the R&R package to the people in two of the eleven submerging villages, and continue the distribution in a phased manner. She said Madhava Rao's family received the full package and left the village with all others in 2010.

She said that he purchased land with the money and cultivated it, but suffered losses. Even after selling the land after a few years, he needed to repay the lenders and they were pressurisng him. She said that they received 2,397 applications for inclusion of the names, either people who missed in the first survey and from the people who became majors in the meantime and approved 529 of them after validation in January 2021.

She said Madhava Rao submitted applications for the R&R package for their sons, who are married and left the village long ago, and they are processing it with 728 other applications received in the meantime. She said that the government has sanctioned Rs 1,305 crore for the project and they are going to start the distribution of the R&R package soon.